Bob Nolan and the Sons of the
Pioneers accompanied Roy Rogers and Trigger on their visits to children's
hospitals all over the land. Trigger was shod with special rubber shoes and he
was a perfect gentleman on the wards. Roy took the time to speak to many of the
little patients individually and, as we see from this picture, Bob did, too.

Bob Nolan sharing a song with an unidentified
patient in the Texas Scottish Hospital c. 1948.

Roy and the Pioneers brought their instruments
with them and sang to the children. The Republic film,
Song of Texas, gives us an idea of how those visits were orchestrated. Most of the photos in existence
also show Little
Trigger, that feisty little dappled palomino who traveled so well and tried to
upstage Roy at every opportunity.

Back of photo reads: Infantile paralysis victim
feeds Trigger a lump of sugar as the famous movie horse and his master,
Republicís singing cowboy star, entertained the patients of the Crippled
Childrenís Guild in Buffalo. (eBay image)

Caption reads: Two children reach out to pet
Trigger at the New York Infirmary on October 11, as Roy Rogers, Republic's King
of the Cowboys looks on. (eBay image)

Caption reads: Little Joan Blazer, Pittsburgh,
while recuperating in an oxygen tent in Childrens' Hospital is serenaded by Roy
Rogers, Kind of the Cowboys, when he entertained the patients at Childrens'
Hospital, Pittsburgh. Roy sang her several songs and she requested him to sing
"Don't Fence Me In", a number that Roy introduced recently." (eBay image)